China’s Corn Seed Business Becomes More and More Popular

It seems to be a trend that quite a few seed players are getting involved in corn seed industry in succession or further enhancing their existing corn seed business. The corn seed market, as the largest sector in domestic seed industry, has strongly attracted seed players both at home and abroad.

Most leading seed companies in China run corn seed business and many companies have taken corn seed as the core business. Some insiders even believe that those seed companies without corn seed business would be marginalized sooner or later. Unlike Shandong Denghai and Gansu Dunhuang, Longping High-tech is very weak in corn seed business. However, Longping High-tech is making great efforts to open up the corn seed market.

When some listed companies such as WanXiang Doneed and Origin are vigorously enhancing their corn seed business, Winall Hi-tech declares to develop the corn seed business by purchasing a prominent company located in Northeast China. Even Grand Agriseeds, a newly listed company in hybrid rice seed business, claims in its 2011 semiannual report that it has obtained a corn variety called "Keyu 3".

Overseas seed giants are also accelerating the market distribution in China. After the great success of Xianyu 335, Pioneer is expected to promote other corn varieties across China. Other multinational corporations such as Monsanto, Chia Tai Group, KWS are also eyeing domestic key planting areas of corn, with their headed varieties.

What are the detailed stories of the above news? What impact will be brought to the domestic corn seed industry? How will Longping High-tech open the corn seed market?

All the latest information and company dynamics about domestic seed industry, especially corn seed market, are in CCM’s September Issue of Seed China News. For more news, please check below:

-Formal regulations for seed production and operation issued

-China: water-saving agriculture in urgent need

-Longping High-tech weak in corn seed

-Winall Hi-tech enhances corn seed business

-Grand Agriseeds grows on revenue and net profit after listing

-Chongqing Jinsui to be injected new capital

-Origin sets up joint venture in Xinjiang

-Heilongjiang Kenfeng enhances cooperation with KWS

-Beijing Doneed launches corn processing line

-Chinese cabbage genome sequencing completed

For more detailed information about CCM’s September Issue of Seed China News, please feel free to contact us at econtact@cnchemicals.com.

 (Guangzhou China, October 31, 2011)

About CCM

CCM is dedicated to market research in China, Asia-Pacific Rim and global market. With a staff of more than 150 dedicated highly-educated professionals. CCM offers Market Data, Analysis, Reports, Newsletters, Buyer-Trader Information, Import/Export Analysis all through its new proprietary product ValoTracer.

CCM International Ltd.
Guangzhou CCM Information Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
17th Floor, Huihua Commercial & Trade Mansion, No.80 Xianlie Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510070, China

Source: http://www.cnchemicals.com/PressRoom/PressRoom.html

China Issued New Regulations for Crop Seed

The October Issue of Seed China News published by CCM shows that China issues new Management Regulations for Crop Seed Production and Operation, with major modifications on registered capital and GM crop seed.

The new formal Management Regulations for Crop Seed Production and Operation (New Regulations) was released on 25 August 2011. Compared with regulations in 2010, the New Regulations raise the access threshold of seed industry by increasing the registered capital of seed enterprises. Both the production license and operation license for hybrid rice seed or hybrid corn seed require a registered capital of at least USD4.66 million (RMB30 million), much higher than the original amount of USD775,891 (RMB5 million). For producing or operating other major crop seeds, the registered capital of enterprises increased from the original USD155, 178 (RMB1 million) to USD775,891 (RMB5 million).

New Regulations also put forward stricter requirements of breeding ability to dominant seed enterprises. For example, those seed enterprises with integration of "breeding, propagation and promotion" shall have their own breeding departments, with over 300 m2 of research laboratories, 6,666.67 m2 of stable breeding land and over five professional breeders, etc. Moreover, their annual research funds shall be no less than 10% of the annual profit, and annual revenue from proprietary varieties shall account for more than 10% of their total revenue.

Moreover, relevant provision of production and operation of GM crop seed will be deleted in the New Regulation. It is reported that the regulations on GM crop seed production and operation will be separately formulated by China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). The cancellation of GM provisions in New Regulations reflects the cautious attitude of the State towards GM crop seed.

Above is extracted from CCM’s October Issue of Seed China News. More news please check:

-China issues new Management Regulations for Crop Seed Production and Operation, with major modifications in related provisions about registered capital and GM crop seed.

-Influenced by water shortages, China has attached great importance to water-saving agriculture.

-The corn seed business of Longping High-tech suffers sales decline, though it reaches significant growth in both revenue and net profit during H1 2011.

-Winall Hi-tech acquires a corn seed company in Northeast China, aiming to march into the important corn seed market.

-Grand Agriseeds sees slight growth in both the revenue and net profit in H1 2011, with its core business of three-line hybrid rice seed.

-Chongqing Jinsui will introduce new capital from a local investment corporation, leading the business restructuring in the seed industry of Chongqing.

-Origin sets up a join venture in Northwest China with a prominent local partner, and a premier corn processing plant is under construction.

-Heilongjiang Kenfeng intends to set up a joint venture with KWS for the key corn seed market in Northeast China.

-Beijing Doneed launches a corn breeding and processing base, which shall create a positive impact on WanXiang Doneed.

-The genome sequencing of Chinese cabbage has been completed, which shall promote the breeding process of excellent varieties.

For more information about CCM’s October Issue of Seed China News, please feel free to contact us at econtact@cnchemicals.com.

 (Guangzhou China, October 12, 2011)

About CCM

CCM is dedicated to market research in China, Asia-Pacific Rim and global market. With a staff of more than 150 dedicated highly-educated professionals. CCM offers Market Data, Analysis, Reports, Newsletters, Buyer-Trader Information, Import/Export Analysis all through its new proprietary product ValoTracer.
Please visit http://www.cnchemicals.com for more information or contact econtact@cnchemicals.com

CCM International Ltd.
Guangzhou CCM Information Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
17th Floor, Huihua Commercial & Trade Mansion, No.80 Xianlie Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510070, China

Source: http://www.cnchemicals.com/PressRoom/PressRoomDetail_c_749.html

Formal Regulations for Seed Production and Operation issued

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) finally issued the new formal Management Regulations for Crop Seed Production and Operation (New Regulations) on 25 Aug. 2011 after the draft released at the end of 2010. New Regulations are set with some modifications, especially on registered capital and GM crop seed, in the light of China's actual conditions, according to CCM’s September Issue of Seed China News.

Compared with the former policy starting from 2001, New Regulations raise the access threshold of seed industry by increasing the registered capital of seed enterprises. Both the production license and operation license for hybrid rice seed or hybrid corn seed require the registered capital of enterprises to be no less than USD4.66 million (RMB30 million), much higher than the original amount, USD775,891 (RMB5 million). For producing or operating other major crop seeds, the registered capital of enterprises increased from the original USD155,178 (RMB1 million) to USD775,891 (RMB5 million).

Besides, New Regulations also increase the registered capital of import and export seed enterprises from USD1.55 (RMB10 million) to USD4.66 million (RMB30 million). As for seed enterprises with integration of "breeding, propagation and promotion" which are certificated by MOA, the registered capital is raised from the original USD4.66 million (RMB30 million) to USD15.52 million (RMB100 million).

Apart from registered capital, New Regulations put forward explicit requirements to seed enterprises' fixed assets, workplaces, processing capacity, technical staff, intellectual property rights, etc. For example, hybrid rice or hybrid corn seed operation enterprises should possess no less than USD1.55 (RMB10 million) fixed assets, with over five full-time seed processing technicians, over five seed inspectors certificated by agricultural administrative departments, etc.

By raising the access threshold of seed industry, New Regulations are expected to bring significant changes to the existing interest structure of seed enterprises after coming into effect since 25 Sept. 2011. Industrial insiders speculate that over 80% seed companies would be phased out or become sales subsidiaries of dominant companies. Actually, influenced by the policy orientation, domestic seed industry has presented continuous changes. So far, total M&A transaction volume of domestic seed companies has exceeded USD77.59 million (RMB500 million), nearly three times that in the same period last year. Some leading companies such as Longping High-tech, CNSGC, Winall Hi-tech, Henan Qiule, etc. have actively implemented M&A to consolidate their industry position.

Moreover, stock prices of listed seed companies like Shandong Denghai, Longping High-tech, Winall Hi-tech, Hefei Fengle have rallied strongly since Aug. 2011 mainly stimulated by a series of policies. The growth rate of stock price of Shandong Denghai and Longping High-tech even exceeded 20% in Aug.

It can be predicted that M&A process in seed industry would be accelerated in the future, and those leading companies are expected to take up more market shares after holding more and better resources through M&A. At present, China has over 8,700 seed companies with operation license, but only about 100 among the total are able to breed new varieties by themselves. Most seed companies rely on research institutes for new varieties greatly, without strong R&D ability.

New Regulations also put forward stricter requirements of breeding ability to dominant seed enterprises. For example, those seed enterprises with integration of "breeding, propagation and promotion" shall have their own breeding departments, with over 300 m2 of research laboratories, 6,666.67 m2 of stable breeding land and over five professional breeders, etc. Moreover, their annual research funds shall be no less than 10% of the annual profit, and annual revenue from proprietary varieties shall account for more than 10% of their total revenue.

It is expected that MOA will put greater emphasis on dominant seed enterprises with integration of "breeding, propagation and promotion", further strengthening their breeding ability and promoting the development of national seed industry.

It is worth noting that New Regulations cancel the relevant provisions on production and operation of GM crop seed, compared with several provisions on GM crop seed in the draft released at the end of 2010. Instead, New Regulations just point out in Article 35 that the regulations on GM crop seed production and operation will be separately formulated by MOA. The cancellation of GM provisions in New Regulations reflects the cautious attitude of the State towards GM crop seed.

(Guangzhou China, October 8, 2011)

Source: Seed China News 1109

http://www.cnchemicals.com/Newsletter/NewsletterDetail_28.html

Content of Seed China News 1109:

Formal regulations for seed production and operation issued

China: water-saving agriculture in urgent need

Longping High-tech weak in corn seed

Winall Hi-tech enhances corn seed business

Grand Agriseeds grows on revenue and net profit after listing

Chongqing Jinsui to be injected new capital

Origin sets up joint venture in Xinjiang

Heilongjiang Kenfeng enhances cooperation with KWS

Beijing Doneed launches corn processing line

Chinese cabbage genome sequencing completed

For more information about CCM’s Seed China News, please contact us at econtact@cnchemicals.com.